I’m about to drop so many Sound of Music lyrics in this post. For Erin, Ryan and all other friends who haven’t seen it, I’ve even linked what I’m referencing. You should probably click through, if not to appreciate the movie, to appreciate how much I appreciated this day.

On the train to Salzburg yesterday, a girl stepped on the train, looked unsure, looked at me and said, “Ma’am, excuse me, do you speak English?” I think the term for what I did was chuckle. We were definitely the same age, and she was from Tennessee. She was mortified when I said I was from California. Ma’am. I don’t know if I just looked confident or haggard.

In my 6-bed mixed dorm, the three boys in there when I arrived were really sweet. They informed me the other two guys (do the math, it was awkward) were “strange.” Strange how? Little blonde French guy said “They just were weird. Like you could see it in their eyes.”

These boys were nervous. I told them I’d protect them. Then for the next hour, I watched them plan out their next two weeks (a school break) to the minute, telling them you’re debating Brussels and Prague? Hah! And if you’re thinking Brussels, go straight to Bruges. I’m speaking as if I hadn’t learned this six days ago, and they started referring to me as the “expert.” They were sweethearts.

Fast-forward. 4:30a.m. Somebody is rubbing my arm. Odd. Especially odd since I’m on the top bunk.

Oh, this must be one of the weird guys. Those boys called that one right.

“Hi!” he says.

“Hi.”

A pause, so I follow-up. “Are we just saying hi?”

“What’s your name?”

I never lie about that one. It’s too hard to remember when you’re sober, and he’s definitely not.

“Where are you from?”

“California.”

Sometimes I don’t make things up when I should.

“Are you single in Austria?”

As opposed to single in not Austria?

“No.”

“Someone in California?”

“Yes.”

I mean, sure. You can stop rubbing my arm now. I’m not a genie in a bottle, baby.

Blonde paranoid French kid is awake in the bottom bunk across the room. His eyes are darting around. I think he’s terrified he’s the awake male that will have to save the girl.

So I said goodnight. He said goodnight and kept staring.

“Okay pal. Goodnight.”

Twenty minutes later I felt a rub on the arm again, and patting on the bed. Whaaat.

“I, I, can’t find my debit card! Did I leave it, I think I left it in your bed.”

Okay, now I just feel like a fancy prostitute.

“You didn’t. You really didn’t.”

“Are you sure?”

These bozos kept everyone up for the next two hours. This morning, eyes still glazed and with a really dopey grin, the other one told me “you have a really pretty smile.” Aw, gee. I still don’t like you.

I walked around town this morning. It’s cute. It really is. But the problem I seem to have is that all the old town, historical charm is lost because, as touristy as it is, the prettiest sites are surrounded by the Gucci, Prada, etc. stores and I easily become disenchanted. I don’t know why that is. I’d wandered through town, knowing my Sound of Music tour was at 2:00, and just when I was thinking alright, my trip to Salzburg will be all about this tour… I found some steps.

And you know what Mother Abbess sang. Climb every mountain…

You’ll notice I didn’t link. That is the most boring part of the movie.

I climbed. I found. I found way better than ground level.

I’m failing to be selective when it comes to photos. This is the greatest autumn I have ever seen.

Side thought. The day in Munich I wanted to sit in a cafe and write all day, it rained. Sound of Music tour day, it was 55 degrees and sunny. Was there a parade going on below me in Salzburg when I reached the top of the fort? You bet.

Feeling awesome about Salzburg now, I looked at my watch and realized I was officially running late for the tour and did not know how to get down from the massive fortress. Luckily, following the logic that downhill paths would work, I made it!

Oh Sound of Music tour. You were a budget buster, and so worth every minute. For four hours, I heard bad jokes, good trivia, went through the sites in Salzburg, and then forty minutes out to… The hills that are alive with the sound of music. With the movie’s soundtrack playing.

I loved EVERY MINUTE.

This is the lake and backyard of the Von Trapp residence. Notice you never see that house in the movie, they used a different building for the house. The scenes where Maria and Captain Von Trapp are talking to each other? Dialogue was shot separately, miles apart. This is where they wear curtains and fall out of the boat!

The following needs no introduction. Except that my favorite, favorite scene takes place in the gazebo, and it is not the scene with the teens. I love love. Plus, this scene has my favorite line.

We stopped off for a beautiful scenic spot in the hills. The only reason I post this picture of myself is not because it captures the scenery, not because its flattering of me, but because this is the last of a string of photos this father took of me, none of which I knew he was taking because he kept asking me questions and thus I kept talking.

We even made it to the church where Maria and Captain got married. Yes they got married at the abbey… But the interior of the church was here.

It was a fun, beautiful day. I didn’t want to bury my favorite photo of the day. It’s in the previous post… A couple and their dog. It seemed like a moment captured most people wouldn’t mind having.